Flash Flood in Oklahoma, September 3, 2008

Name: Flash Flood in Oklahoma, September 3, 2008
Start: 2008-09-03T12:04
End: 2008-09-03T14:05
Location: Oklahoma

September 3, 2008 · NWS TSA · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rain caused a flash flood in Le Flore county in southeast Oklahoma.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS TSA wrote it up.

Heavy rain caused a flash flood in Le Flore county in southeast Oklahoma.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Tulsa, OK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 3, 11:49 AM CST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 3, 11:49 AM CST, 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1249 PM CDT WED SEP 3 2008

.DISCUSSION...

.AVIATION...
THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT ALL TAF SITES
THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. WIDESPREAD AND
PERSISTENT IFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED NEARER THE TRACK OF THE
CIRCULATION WHICH IMPACTS THE ARKANSAS SITES. FURTHER WEST...DRIER
POST FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL LIMIT EXPANSE OF PRECIP AND ALLOW FOR
MVFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL WITH INTERMITTENT LOWER CATEGORIES AT
ANY SITE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HEAVIER RAINS. GRADUALLY IMPROVING
FLIGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AFTER SUNRISE THURSDAY.

&&

.TSA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OK...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM THURSDAY FOR OKZ049-OKZ058-OKZ063-OKZ068-
     OKZ069-OKZ072-OKZ074-OKZ075-OKZ076.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM WEDNESDAY FOR OKZ058-OKZ062-OKZ063-
     OKZ067-OKZ068-OKZ069-OKZ070-OKZ071-OKZ072-OKZ074-OKZ076.

AR...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 7 AM THURSDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-ARZ011-
     ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM WEDNESDAY FOR ARZ001-ARZ002-ARZ010-
     ARZ011-ARZ019-ARZ020-ARZ029.

&&

SHORT TERM...07
LONG TERM....06
AVIATION...07

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 3, 6:45 AM CST, 5 hours 19 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
745 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2008

ARZ001-002-010-011-019-020-029-OKZ049-053>076-041000-
ADAIR OK-BENTON AR-CARROLL AR-CHEROKEE OK-CHOCTAW OK-CRAIG OK-
CRAWFORD AR-CREEK OK-DELAWARE OK-FRANKLIN AR-HASKELL OK-LATIMER OK-
LE FLORE OK-MADISON AR-MAYES OK-MCINTOSH OK-MUSKOGEE OK-NOWATA OK-
OKFUSKEE OK-OKMULGEE OK-OSAGE OK-OTTAWA OK-PAWNEE OK-PITTSBURG OK-
PUSHMATAHA OK-ROGERS OK-SEBASTIAN AR-SEQUOYAH OK-TULSA OK-WAGONER OK-
WASHINGTON OK-WASHINGTON AR-
745 AM CDT WED SEP 3 2008

...REMNANTS OF GUSTAV WILL CONTINUE AFFECTING THE AREA THROUGH
   TONIGHT...

...3 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
   NORTHWEST ARKANSAS THROUGH TONIGHT...

THIS OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS AS WELL AS
MUCH OF EASTERN OKLAHOMA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

FLASH FLOOD.
	RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
	AREA...FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

HEAVY RAIN.
	RISK...SIGNIFICANT.
	AREA...FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

SIGNIFICANT WINDS.
	RISK...ELEVATED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...ONGOING.

        AREA AT GREATEST RISK...FAR NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST
                                ARKANSAS.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
	RISK...LIMITED.
	AREA...EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS.
	ONSET...THIS MORNING.

DISCUSSION...
THE TROPICAL REMNANTS OF GUSTAV...CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER EXTREME
NORTHEAST TEXAS WILL BEGIN TO MOVE IN A MORE NORTH NORTHEAST
DIRECTION TODAY. AS THIS OCCURS...AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE
RAIN...ALONG WITH ISOLATED THUNDER WILL  WRAP AROUND THE CENTER OF
CIRCULATION...THUS RESULTING IN RAINY PERIODS THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
THE TRACK OF THE CIRCULATION DICTATES FAR EASTERN OKLAHOMA AND
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS WILL REMAIN MORE FAVORABLE FOR PROLONGED
RAINFALL...WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THROUGH TONIGHT
WILL BE POSSIBLE. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE
AFOREMENTIONED AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. SEE...OKCFFATSA...FOR DETAILS.

ADDITIONALLY...WINDS GUSTING BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE
AREAWIDE AS THE SURFACE LOW MOVES NORTH NORTHEAST TODAY. A WIND
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. SEE...OKCNPWTSA...FOR DETAILS.

SPOTTER AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACTION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION NOT EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
THURSDAY...HIGH WIND POTENTIAL.
FRIDAY...NO HAZARDS.
SATURDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
SUNDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
MONDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.
TUESDAY...THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL.

EXTENDED DISCUSSION...
THE REMNANTS OF GUSTAV WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHEAST AND AWAY FROM
THE AREA DURING THE DAY THURSDAY. IN ITS WAKE...CONSIDERABLY DRIER
AND COOLER AIR WILL BEGIN FILTERING OVER THE AREA. A WEAK SHORTWAVE
TRAVERSING THE PLAINS OVER THE EARLY PORTION OF THE WEEKEND MAY
RESULT IN ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR RAIN...ALONG WITH A REINFORCING
SHOT OF COOLER AIR. A WARMING TREND WILL ENSUE FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.

WWW.SRH.NOAA.GOV/TULSA CONTAINS ADDITIONAL TABULAR AND GRAPHICAL
INFORMATION.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 3, 7:49 AM CST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
849 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0842 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG PLEASANT HILL           35.52N 94.05W
09/03/2008                   CRAWFORD           AR   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREE DOWN BLOCKING SOUTH BOUND LANE OF HIGHWAY 215

&&

DMJ

Local storm report, Sep 3, 7:56 AM CST, 4 hours 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
856 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0847 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 2 ENE RUDY              35.54N 94.24W
09/03/2008                   CRAWFORD           AR   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            LARGE TREE DOWN ON ROADWAY. TIME ESTIMATED BY DISPATCH.

&&

DMJ

Local storm report, Sep 3, 8:00 AM CST, 4 hours 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
900 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0851 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 ESE MOUNTAINBURG      35.63N 94.15W
09/03/2008                   CRAWFORD           AR   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            POWER LINE DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 348. DISTRICT 3 FIRE
            DEPARTMENT HAS ROADWAY CLOSED. TIME ESTIMATED BY
            DISPATCH.

&&

DMJ

Local storm report, Sep 3, 9:10 AM CST, 2 hours 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TULSA OK
1010 AM CDT WED SEP 03 2008

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0701 AM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 ESE MOUNTAINBURG      35.63N 94.15W
09/03/2008                   CRAWFORD           AR   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            POWER LINE DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY 348. DISTRICT 3 FIRE
            DEPARTMENT HAS ROADWAY CLOSED.

&&

DMJ

The radar

The Western Arkansas radar (KSRX), 15 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Le Flore

When: September 3, 12:04 PM CST to 2:05 PM CST
Where: Le Flore County, 3 mi NW of Pocola to 3 mi SW of Pocola
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.261, -94.518

Four to six inches of rain caused flooding, which resulted in a road in Pocola to be closed.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oklahoma in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Oklahoma, September 2008

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 135952.